Handle attachment



(No Model.)

M ZABEL HANDLE ATTACHMENT.

Patented NOV..10,1891.

ma acme PETERS no, mn-rmn'uo WASNINGTON w c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX ZABEL, OF MILTVAUKEE, VISCONSIN.

HANDLE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,918, dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed April 27, 1891.

To all whom 6 'nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, MAX ZABEL, a citizen of the lfnited States, and a resident of the city of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for the Handles of Pitchforks, the; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear and exact descrip tion thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide the handles of pitchforks and analogous tools, such as spades and shovels, with a device that serves as a fulcrum or rest for the handle when the load is being started by the fork or blade, whereby the labor of the operator is materially lightened; and the said invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a pitchfork provided with a fulcrum in accordance with my invention;

broken away and in position on the forkhandle, the latter being in transverse section; and Fig. 3, a detail side elevation illustrating the fork-handle provided with a spring-catch for holding the fulcrum parallel therewith when not in use.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents a fork,sueh as is ordinarily employed for handling manure, and B the handle of said fork.

Fitted to the fork-handle B in any suitable manner is a fulcrum device 0, the latter in its preferred form being a wrought-iron rod bent into a triangular shape and having its ends I) sprung into an opening 0 in the depending, portion (1 of a malleable-iron casting or clip D, this clip being held in place by an ordinary bolt 6, that passes through its ears just above and in contact with said fork-ham dle to engage a set-nutj on the outside of one of said ears.

In order that the clip D may be clamped on forlehandles of varying gage, I provide its ears with bolt-openings g at different elevations, and I also prefer to provide said handles with spring-catches 76 or other suitable Serial No. 390,599. (No model.)

devices for the purpose of holding the'fulcrum C up out of the way when not in use, as shown in Fig. 3.

\Vhile I have shown and described the fulcrum O in connection with a pitchfork, it is also intended for analogous tools, such as spades or shovels, and although said fulcrum has been set forth as detachably connected to a tool-handle it may be permanently secured thereto, either rigidly or pivotally, without departure from the spirit of my invention.

In operating with a pitchfork or analogous tool having its handle provided with a ful crum device the latter rests upon the surface from which The load is to be lifted and takes the strain that would otherwise come upon the leg of the operator.

By the employment. of a device such as I have described in connection with the handle of a pitchfork, spade, orshovel labor with the latter is materially lightened, and considerably more work may be accomplished with a less expenditure of force than is ordinarily the case.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A pitchfork or analogous tool, such as a spade or shovel, having the handle thereof provided with a pivoted fulcrum device, and a catch connected to said handle in position to engage said fulcrum device when the latter is swung up out of its normal posit-ion, substantially as set forth.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a fulcrum device for the handles of pitchforks and analogous tools, comprising a malleable-iron casting having a depending portion provided with an opening and verticallyextended ears, a rod bent into triangular shape and having its ends sprung into the opening in the depending portion of said casting, a bolt passed through said ears, and a nut on the bolt, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in

the county of Milwaukee and State of Viscousiu, in the presence of two witnesses.

MAX ZABEL.

Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, WM. KLUG. 

